Joshua Nkomo

Joshua Nkomo (19 June 1917-1 July 1999) was Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 31 December 1987 to 1 July 1999, preceding Joseph Msika.

Biography
Joshua Nkomo was born in British Rhodesia in 1917. He was educated in South Africa, where he joined the African National Congress, and he returned to Bulawayo in Southern Rhodesia and became secretary-general of the Rhodesian Railways African Employees' Association. He was president of the Rhodesian brranch of the ANC from 1957 until it was banned in 1959. He then founded the National Democratic Party of Rhodesia in 1960, and, when that was banned, the Zimbabwe African People's Union. He was detained twice, from 1962 to 1964 and 1964 to 1974. On release he led ZAPU's guerrilla campaign from Zambia, and in 1976 joined an uneasy alliance with Robert Mugabe's ZANU to form the Patriotic Front. In the 1980 elections leading up to independence, ZAPU's support remained confined to the minority Matabele people, while Mugabe's overwhelming Shona support gave him a clear majority. He became Minister of Home Affairs, but in 1982 fell out with Mugabe, with whom he was reconciled only in December 1987 when he accepted the post of Minister for Local Affairs and Development. He also became vice-president of ZANU-PF into which his ZAPU had merged. He died in office in 1999.